I've a few ideas, but I'd like to see what others think, so go ahead, How do you think a SF Infantry force should look. Its for Quadrant 13, so basic stand is a squad, game is Company level, so aim for up Bn equivalent. Be sure to indice what you think the tech level is.

All troops are wearing unpowered, unsealed body armor rated to stop sustained-fire MG, and all but snipers are transported in light armored vehicles.

=====~50 years from now: See Aliens Colonial Marines Handbook for platoon org. Company would have 2x platoons, plus mortars. Battalion would have 2x companies, plus at least a tank platoon (4x tanks) and artillery battery (4x tubes).

=====~150 years from now:Battles are over before traditional tanks can be deployed, so light mecha (max of 4ton weight!) are preferred. These are vulnerable to infantry rifles, but speed of deployment trumps staying power.

'Squad' is still ~8-10 people, with HMG, sniper/DMR, LGL, AT missile, Electronic Warfare specialist, and pack mule drone or two.

I had a bunch of stuff written up for my imagi-nation based in the GZG-verse--can't find the stuff now, though. I kept organization by 3s (as in 3 squads plus HQ make a pltn, 3 line pltns + support or HQ make a co, etc.) instead of the 2s some other folks are suggesting.

The "3s" idea is born of having a reserve, redundant, unit at each level of the organization. A cash-strapped, or man-short, military might organize around 2s because that's the minimum you need to get the job done.

I have been kicking alot of ideas around fidgeting with low tech and hi tech forces. The only reason I went with ten man squads was to get the maximum fire power bonus on the chart and make them more resiliant to casualties.

To me the squad size is a function of transport and resources – if you are in the situation of having restricted lift capacity, you might go with smaller and very well equipped units (i.e. 4 trooper fire teams) – while if transport is less of an issue the ten trooper squads would give you greater staying power

So – if this is a mercenary unit which aims to hit hard, strike fast and leave quick, small high tech units – if the intent is an occupation force, bigger but maybe less well equipped squads

I'm probably going 8 man squads for most armies (depending on the background) as 'more realistic' – 2 4 man groups in a squad, similar to modern UK/US thinking.

I'm also thinking about dedicated 'Assault Squads', losing their 'SAW' (so -1d in shooting) but with armour/shields, as well as the extra di(c)e in combat, Maybe even make them 10 man. The rational would be the armour/shield is heavy/cumbersome/etc that you can't easily handle a SAW, plus doctrine doesn't want them in protracted firefights.

Organisation by 2s is a problem (BAOR tried it briefly in the late 1970s), triangular or square work better and pentomic is just bonkers. 2s mean half your force is permanently in reserve, 3s and 4s mean you have some flexibility.

A decent organisation depends on the type of operations you are envisaging as it informs how decentralised your heavy weapons are. Light infantry type stuff generally needs light and decentralised support weapons, fighting WW1/2/3 benefits greatly from battalion and brigade level support weapons companies.

So, being boring, a basic triangular organisation, three rifle comapnies of three platoons of three sections to a batalion plus a heavy weapons company with mortar, MG, AT, AA and sapper platoons which can be broken down and allocated to the rifel companies/platoons as required.

In light infantry ops these allocations may become semi permanent, but you have the option to still fight with a weapons company in high intensity conventional warfere.

Pared down organisationsa are all very well, but when do the guys to any maintenance or get any sleep?

Depending on tech level 'AA/AT' may be BFG-9000s or other equiv energy/smart missile or whatever weapons, as well as 'mortars'.

I really don't care what bullet throwing weapons the sections have, as long as they generate sufficent weight of firepower. Whatever seems reasonable given the tech. Sections will however be homogenous and not split by specialism. They tried that in WW1 and it died out very rapidly by WW2.